In a rather long rant last night, Mr. Jimmy Kimmel suggested that we who are NRA members or who own guns or who support the 2nd Amendment, or who are members of other localized pro 2nd Amendment groups (such as the VCDL) bear some responsibility for the Vegas shooting.
Mr. Kimmel’s exact remarks being “….because maybe deep down inside your heart, you know you bear some responsibility for the fact that almost anyone can get any weapon they want, and now you cover yourself until the storm of outrage passes and you can get back to your dirty business as usual”
For the record, I am a proud lifetime member of the NRA, and belong to the Virginia Citizens Defense League as well.
Sorry Mr. Kimmel, but I am not responsible for someone else having a mental illness. Everyone can and should feel mercy for someone who suffers from paranoia, or schizophrenia, or any one of hundreds of other mental illnesses. But that does not make me responsible for their illness. You also said in your rant the following: “…But it’s not too soon for us because we’re Americans and the last time I checked the 1st Amendment is at least as important as the Second…….” With that being said, is it possible, just possible that the hate speech coming from you and other liberals about how all Republicans are racist sexist teabagging homophobes caused this shooting? And if that is the case, then it is not the gun’s fault. It is the fault of you and your Hollywood elitist friends who caused this tragedy.
Quite frankly, I would never accuse you or anyone else of being responsible for such a crime. Because while I will grant you have the right to any opinion you want, you cannot be held any more responsible for the actions of a lunatic because you egged him/her on than us 2nd amendment activists who ensure that our government can not make us submit to tyranny. The fool (I refuse to speak his name) who caused the Vegas shooting would have likely committed the killing whether or not he had a gun, and whether or not you and your elitist buddies called us all racists or sexists or homophobes or whatever term of the day you have for us.
I would never accuse you or anyone else of causing a crime because unless you ordered someone at gunpoint/knifepoint to commit a crime, we have free will. And if a person is mentally ill, such as the lunatic who shot Steve Scalise, the fact is that he would have killed someone with or without a gun. People don’t need guns to kill. Check the latest terrorists’ attacks in France. They’re not using guns. They use vans and run over people. Remember Timothy McVeigh? He used fertilizer and a van. No one would ever suggest we outlaw vans.
Very unfortunately some people are weak. They submit to emotional temptation. And as the sheriff of Clarke County Nevada said, no law enacted would have prevented this heinous act. Someone who wants to kill can and will find a way to do so. They do not need a gun. All they need is a lack of willpower, a lack of God in their lives, a moment of weakness, or an illness. I’ve never met a mass murderer or serial killer. I have never met the lost soul who shot everyone in Vegas this weekend. Nor has pretty much every other NRA/VCDL:/2nd Amendment supporter. To suggest we are to blame is beyond irresponsible
What you have done Mr. Kimmel, is to put our lives in danger by giving some other nut the idea they will be saving lives by trying to take mine, or Wayne LaPierre’s (NRA Executive) or Ed Levine/Philip Van Cleave (Executive Board of Directors Members of the VCDL) or any other member or even perceived member of any of these groups. Because to a schizophrenic, actual membership in any of these groups would not matter, perceived membership would be good enough.
Sorry Mr. Kimmel, but all you have done is potentially set off another mass murder. This is hate speech in its most sick form. However as a constitutional, conservative, and because I defend the 1st Amendment, I will not nor will I ever try to halt your right to say whatever it is you want. However I will also exercise my 1st Amendment rights to call you out for the hateful person that you are.
